Obsession
by a red burn
Summary: A new student comes to NOU and find himself attracted to Miranda but soon this admiration becomes more than just a crush and he starts stalking her, causing them to believe he has some kind of dangerous obsession for her.
1. Part 1

Obsession.  
  
Author: Andréa  
  
Feedback: you can leave me a small review right here or send me an e-mail to jarheadxhotmail.com , any feedback will be accepted with shrieks of glee   
  
Summary: A new student comes to NOU and find himself attracted to Miranda but soon this admiration becomes more than just a crush and he starts stalking her, causing them to believe he has some kind of dangerous obsession for her.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for language and situation.  
  
Category: D/M romance, UST, Angst, drama.  
  
Spoilers: Probably none.  
  
Disclaimer: They do not belong to me and if they did I wouldn't be writing fanfic.  
  
Author's note: The line 'she's beautiful' came to my mind when I was home totally bored trying to work on my other fanfic. Weirdly enough I wanted this line to be the first of a fanfic of mine, so this plot came to my mind. I thought it'd be interesting to see Miranda being stalked and since I wanted to write something with a stalker for a long time now I decided on doing it with a MW fanfic.  
  
This is the first time I ever wrote something on present tense, that's just to agree with the first sentence :op forgive me if somewhere along the way I change that. But I'll try to keep it at the same.  
  
Also English isn't my native language so there'll be grammar mistakes and I'm really sorry for that. Feel free to give me a heads up on what's wrong and if anything in here is kinda odd, feel free to let me know.  
  
Enjoy.  
  
Obsession Part 1 - The eye of the beholder.   
  
She's beautiful.  
  
He can't stop thinking that as he stares at her, as he watches her work so gracefully in the lab, as her slim feminine fingers touches here and there so delicately afraid she might break something. He wishes it was his body she was touching; it was his face, his lips, his form she was touching with such care, with such devotion.  
  
Devotion...  
  
Devotion is what she has with him. Is how their relationship works, that's what shines in her eyes every time she sees him. He hates that, hates the fact that she looks at him like that, that she fills all her free time and her not so free time to do things for him. She is always doing things for him just to please him; he knows that, he's sure of that.  
  
He knows she only does what she does to make him satisfied.  
  
But he's never satisfied...  
  
He's always asking for more, always wanting more from her, always going after her to ask for something. He never goes to her only to know how she's feeling or to ask how is her day. He hates how he uses her as if she was his particular little maid, how he pushes her to do what he asks when she says she's busy, when she has more important things to do. But what he hates the most is how she lets him do all of that; how she doesn't seem to care he is using her...  
  
That really makes him mad.  
  
He smiles as she notices how her black velvet hair glows under the soft sunlight coming from the window next to her, how much she looks like an angel. The way her face hardens, how her eyes narrow as she studies closely the vial on the table in front of her only makes him smile even more.  
  
He wants to get in there and greet her, to touch her soft pale skin and feel the silkiness of it under his flesh. He wants to go in there and say something funny to her just to make her laugh, to make her do what no one can't -except for the professor, he's the only one that makes her smile now and then; at least he has only saw the professor making her smile.  
  
He has been watching her for quite a while now and it seems that the only person Miranda hangs out with is the anthropologist professor -and that psychiatrist, Peggy is her name he believes. He doesn't understand why such a beautiful woman doesn't have many friends of her own age, he doesn't understand how someone so smart and beautiful isn't popular the way she should be.  
  
He hates the fact she's so alone, but then he's more of a lonely himself and that only makes one more reason for them to be together, why they are so perfect for each other. He's glad that in the few months he's been in the university she hasn't dated anyone; that she doesn't seem to be even interested in anyone. He wonders why she hasn't... there are so many handsome boys in the university and her being as beautiful as she is she must attract a lot of them, he can't understand why either.  
  
It's better this way anyway, because then he doesn't have to hurt anyone to be with her, he doesn't have to work too hard to be with her. He knows he'll be with her, he has only to make her see how good he is, how happy he can make her. He promises himself he will make her see what a wonderful person he can be to her.  
  
He's just so scared that she may reject him; that she may say she is not interested or that she is seeing someone else if he just comes up to her and says his feelings. He's very afraid that she may laugh at him and at how pathetic he is; that she may say he's not good enough, he's a geek; that she can find someone better than him. So he just wants to do small favors for her, to talk and laugh and hang out with her. He's sure that if he spends time with her she'll see how good he is. That she'll not think he's pathetic.  
  
If he only told her how beautiful she is, how her eyes shine like the ocean that glows when the sun is over it, he wants to say she has the most amazing eyes he has ever seen, that her eyes looks like the Caribbean sea in summer, he saw how it glows when he had gone there with his family. He wants to tell her every single detail of his life, to let her know everything about him, because that way she will not be able to say she does not know him well enough to go out with him.  
  
Maybe he could ask her to have a drink with him or to go grab a coffee after last period just to hang out. He wants to do that so badly but he knows she is with him after classes, that she has a responsibility towards the professor and she can't let him down. Even if he hates how the professor uses her too much he knows how painful is to be let down and he doesn't want to be the one to blame if he makes her let the professor down, he doesn't want to her to be disappointed on him.  
  
No... he wants to make her very proud of him.  
  
He decides to go inside the lab and talk to her before she finishes whatever she's doing and has to go to the professor's office, because there is where she always goes when she finishes her school works or when the tests she has to run for him are done. With the professor is where she is most of the time and he feels very jealous for that.  
  
Sometimes he just wants to be the professor so he can be with her almost all day, so he can find excuses to go talk to her, to be near her. To touch her the way the professor does... he can't deny the fact that he too hates how he touches her, how he's always making physical contact with her. When he sees that he wants so much to punch the professor right on the face...  
  
She shouldn't be touched by anyone but him.  
  
He's glad the lab door is open so he can surprises her for she won't hear when he enters. He's still afraid she'll hear his footsteps because the lab is very quiet and she has a good ear, she can hear a small sound when she's attent. He hopes she's not attent. He doesn't want his surprise messed up.  
  
He walks behind her quietly, glad she hasn't notice him approaching yet and while he takes step by step to her, he can admire her back, he can stare at her hair and admire how much beautiful it glows. He almost can smell her faint green apple perfume.  
  
She's so beautiful...  
  
He stops behind her for a second to feel her warmth and her smell before he decides to announce himself but before he can get close enough she feels someone's presence and turns suddenly around on her stool, facing him. The look in her eyes let him know he startled her and that moment he hates himself for making her scared.  
  
She brings a hand to her heart but quickly puts it down again. "Trevon... you scared me."  
  
He smiles faintly at her. "It wasn't my intention."  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't." She says honestly to him and gets up from her stool. "What are you doing here?" She asks suspiciously at him. He gets nervous because he doesn't want her to be suspicious of him.  
  
"I was just passing by and since the door is open I saw you here and just wanted to say hi."  
  
"Well, that was very nice of you." She says.  
  
"Yeah..." He smiles brightly but she doesn't smile back. "Are you busy?" He asks peeking over her shoulder at the vial behind her.  
  
"Not really, I was just finishing to run this test professor Dunn asked me."  
  
"Oh," He lets out a little disappointed. He wants her to be free... but she said she is not really busy so that means he still can ask her to get a drink or something, but before he can get any word out she says what makes him sad.  
  
"Now I just have to take the results to him. He's been bugging me for it all day." She says and a small smile comes to her lips. He feels nauseated, he wants really bad to break something as that feeling of anger runs up his body and ends up in his hands. For a second his gets afraid that he may hurt her.  
  
He's not mad at her, he has to remind himself, he's mad at the professor, at how he makes her work, how hard she works just for him and how a smile formed over her lips when she mentioned him. He doesn't want to break anything anymore; he wants to hurt the professor. "Why don't you tell him to give you a break?" He suggests with a slight hint of anger in his voice, which she doesn't notice.  
  
"Oh, that's ok." She smiles again. "He may be pushy and annoying sometimes, but I like to do this for him. He's very nice."  
  
He hates him even more. And her... she just lets him use her, she just. Lets. Him. He clenches his teeth and fists trying to make his anger go away and changes the issue. "You know, maybe we could hang out sometime, just have a drink or something. Just a friends thing." He says with a smile, hoping she'll say yes and smiles back at him.  
  
"Maybe." She says without a hint of a smile and in spite of her being polite he's angry. He wants her to smile, but not any smile, he wants her to smile because of him. He wants to make her smile!  
  
Suddenly a cloud of bad mood comes over him and he's not feeling so happy anymore. She made him unhappy in spite of his attempts to make her happy. He hates she doesn't see how much he's trying to be good to her. Again he's mad at her and he wonders if she's doing all this on purpose.  
  
"I really need to go now." She says, stopping his thoughts. "I have to take the results to Declan, he's probably waiting me." And she smiles again as she grabs some papers from the desk and passes by him. "Bye." She says from the door just before getting out.  
  
He watches her go and he's half glad she is not there anymore because he is so angry he's afraid he would end up hurting her. He doesn't want to hurt her, he cares a lot about her, he doesn't want to see her unhappy.  
  
But she's the one making him mad. He'd have to let her know she shouldn't make him mad when all he was trying to do was to make her happy. When all he can think of is how wonderful she is, how beautiful and worthy she is. She has to realize he's good enough to her; she has to open her eyes and really see him.  
  
He will make her see him, whatever it takes,   
  
End of part one. I hope it's not too odd and my English is not too off. Please, stop for a minute and leave me a review. I really need to know how I'm going. 


	2. Part 2

Obsession 2  
  
To disclaimer and such see part 1  
  
Obsession Part 2 – Developing.  
  
Miranda knocks softly on the door and without waiting for an answer she opens it and gets inside. What greets her isn't the pair of eyes she wants to se but the loud bark of Mole. She takes her eyes from the empty desk to the barking dog running to her direction and happily jumping on her. "Quite, Mole." She says and the dog stops immediately jumping, sitting very obediently in front of her. "Good boy." She says as she smiles down at the dog and bends down to scratch Mole's fluffy ear.  
  
When she believes Mole is satisfied she stops her ministrations and walks to Declan's desk and put the papers she is holding over it. She wonders where Declan could be since she was so sure he would be waiting her to bring his so waited results, but before she can start pondering over it, Declan's face comes from the door.  
  
"Oh, hey Miranda." He greets her as he walks inside carrying a paper bad in one of his hands. "Doughnuts. Do you want some?" He says holding up the bad so she can have a better look and before she can answers he goes on, "Did you get the results?" He asks barely holding back his anxiety.  
  
Miranda smiles a little because of that and points a finger at the papers she had just laid down. "Right there. And no, I don't want doughnuts, thank you."  
  
"More to me." He says with a witty smile and winks at her as he walks to his desk and picks up the paper. Miranda only smiles again and rolls her eyes at his lame attempts to be funny. Declan reads carefully through the paper and frowns as he finally gets where he wants. "Ketchup and slime?" He asks rhetorically with a very disbelieving tone and turns to face her with an expression that Miranda could say is a mix of disappointment and surprise.  
  
She has to bit her lip very hard to keep a very inappropriate chuckle from bursting out. "It seems like your 'chicken blood' is just ketchup and slime..." She says with her always bland voice as she walks to the couch and sits down. She opens her mouth to speak again, but before any word can come out Declan interrupts her.  
  
"Don't even dare to say 'I told you so' Miranda." He says with a 'stern' glare at her.  
  
"But I did." She murmurs with a shake of her head. "I told you it was just a waste of time."  
  
"Yeah, that's right, rub it right on my face." Declan mutters and throws himself in his chair letting out a big, dissatisfied sigh.  
  
Miranda gets up and walks to him, resting her lower back on his desk. "Declan, just forget this for a while. It's sunny out there; you know how seldom this happens, why don't you go have a walk? Forget work for a while"  
  
Declan can help but lets a heavy gasp escape from between his lips. "Look who is talking! Miss I-am-always-busy-I-can't-have-fun." He scorns and as soon as a hurt look crosses her face he immediately regrets talking to her like that. "Sorry, didn't mean like that. Is just that... you're always serious." He says remembering all the times she had cried and smiled a bit, but he never really sees her laughing...  
  
"Not always."  
  
"Yes, always. I never saw you laughing. You should laugh more, you have such a beautiful smile."  
  
She rolls her eyes dismissing his compliment as her cheeks redden with a blush. She stands and steps way from him, giving space so he can get up. "Come on, let's get outside."  
  
"Yes, ma'am." He mocks and follows her out the door, without seeing yet again one more roll of eyes.  
  
He's sitting on a bench near one of the university doors, by himself like always. As long as he has Miranda he doesn't really care about that, he doesn't care he's so alone and that no one asks if they can sit with him. He's always been alone, all his life people never asked to sit with him and if he didn't ask to do so, he'd never make friends. Since he moved to Oregon he made a few friends and even in the university he already has some of them.  
  
Moving to Oregon was the best thing he ever did. He can begin all fresh, start a new life and here is where he met Miranda.  
  
She is the prettiest little thing he has ever laid his eyes on. She is even more beautiful than Michelle and more understanding too. He thought Michelle was the love of his life but she betrayed him, she let him down without thinking twice, she hurt him, so he had to give her a lesson. He didn't want to make any harm, all he wanted to do was to talk but she didn't listen and he ended up doing bad things.  
  
It isn't his fault, not at all. She just wouldn't listen, all he asked for was a few minutes to talk to her, to work things out; he wanted to work things out with, to show her he could be a better man, he could make things right, to... to be happy with her.  
  
Michelle didn't want to work things out. She didn't want to understand.  
  
So he ended up hurting her.  
  
Now he can't get anywhere near her otherwise the cops will arrest him.  
  
Trevon shakes his head, saddened that she would waste such a beautiful relationship like the one they had. They were so happy, he gave her gifts all the time, he treated her like a princess and she stepped on him, she treated him like a loser, like the girls on high school treated him.  
  
He thought she was different, he thought she wouldn't be such a whore. She is a whore, she is... isn't someone that let your boyfriend behind to go out dancing without him a whore? She'd rather go out with her friends than to stay home with him, to spend time with him, she'd rather go to the movies with that little bitch she calls best friend than to hang out with him and his friends.  
  
He wanted to show her off, to let those stupid guys know how lucky he was from finding such a wonderful woman, but no, she didn't want to go with him. She always said it was stupid to show her off, that she wasn't a thing. He was mad because he never had something good in his life and the only thing he indeed have didn't want him the way he wanted her.  
  
So he hurt her. He didn't want to but he hurt her.  
  
And it's not his fault...  
  
He immediately notices the moment they leave the university. The first thing that catches his eyes is that beautiful glow of her hair, how it floats around her head. She's smiling, he sees, but then he knows why. The professor is with her... He feels that anger boils inside him as he watches him looking dreamingly at her –but then it's not really his fault... Miranda is beautiful- how she turns to look at him and that little cute turn of lips happens. But what makes him want to hit something is the motion he does to rest his palm on her back.  
  
He wants to go to them and take that hand off of her, to break his nose and tell him to never again touch her. To take her hand in his and take her away from him, take her to a better place to have a walk under the sun.  
  
He follows them with his eyes as Declan leads Miranda to a bench and sit down. He hates how she let him tell her what to do, how she lets him command her. He has to turn in his bench so he can stare at them and take care of his Miranda. He has to be very careful of her; she can hurt that beautiful porcelain flesh of hers real easy. He doesn't want to see her hurt.  
  
No one will ever hurt her. He can't let it happen.  
  
He tries to hear what they're saying but they're just too far from where he's sitting. He wants to know if she's talking about him, if she's telling the professor good things about him. He wants to be her friend, someone she can count on, she can tell things. He wants to be like Declan Dunn, the man in her life she looks up to. He wants to be her world just like Professor Dunn is it.  
  
Miranda looks up and closes her eyes to let the warm sun heat her face. It's so good to be in the sun when the day is cold, that's what she thinks. She loves the feel of the sunshine against her soft skin, warming it as if it is the gentle hands of a lover. She loves the feel of it.  
  
She leans back on the bench and rests her back on it, joining her hands and putting them on her lap. Then she finally opens her eyes only to see that Declan is watching her. "What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Come on, what is it?"  
  
He shrugs and takes his eyes from her to look at the people passing by. "I was just watching you."  
  
"Watching me..." She starts but before any other word can come out, Declan speaks.  
  
"You know what we should do?" He asks the moment the thought crosses his mind. "We should take a weekend off." He doesn't have a clue of where that comes from but he likes the idea. "I forget about work and you forget about college so we have the whole weekend just to have fun."  
  
Miranda looks at him for a couple of seconds trying to make sure if he's serious or just fooling with her. "Declan... are you insane?"  
  
He looks back at her and smiles that mischievous smile of his. "I'm serious. When was the last time you have fun? From what I remember, I believe it was when you was... possessed, let's put it this way..."  
  
"Declan, I'm in college. I can't walk around just having fun. I have responsibilities. I don't have time to have fun."  
  
"Oh, come on Miranda..." He sighs out in frustration. "You have plenty of time to study, to do your papers and to work with me AND have fun too."  
  
"Declan..." She groans in a failed attempt to make him forget about that.  
  
"It will be just two days. You won't die because of two days. What do you say? Me and you –and Peggy if she's free- together and have some fun, no work or school related."  
  
Miranda can't stop a sweet smile from creeping over her face as she sees Declan's enthusiasm, looking like a child. She knows he's doing that only to make her happy because Declan has absolutely much more fun than her; Miranda almost never has any fun.  
  
"Say yes, please. We can even take Mole." He grins at her, wishing his flirtatious attempts to make her give in will work.  
  
Miranda rolls her eyes as she lets out a silently chuckle. "Ok, all right. You won... You're really a pain in the ass, you know?"  
  
Declan gasps and looks perplexed at her. "What kind of language is that, young lady?"  
  
"Please, Declan..." She says coming back to her normal, bland, serious expression.  
  
He sees him flirting with her and that makes his mood even worse. He is already touching her, now he needs to flirt with her too? What kind of professor is that? He shouldn't be flirting with the students... He knows he's not her professor but he's still a professor and to Trevon that is wrong. Wrong of them to have such a close relationship when he is much older than her, when she is a student and he, a professor.  
  
He shouldn't be so jealous because he knows they don't have anything else than friendship, but his angry filled brain won't make things clear to him. He can't see why she is so much with him, what the professor has he doesn't have. She never looks at him the way she looks at the professor, a look that he can almost be sure is love...  
  
No, NO! It can't be love, because then things will be just too difficult. If she loves the professor she'll never love him. Unless he makes her... No... He promised himself he wouldn't harm her; he would never do anything bad to her. He has to keep his promise.  
  
He glances again at the two talking and this time he sees the psychiatrist coming. She's not as often with him as Miranda, but she's part of the group. She's always there. He wishes he was part of the group too.  
  
But maybe he can be.  
  
Trevon makes up his mind and gets up from his bench to go to theirs. They are chatting animatedly and don't notice when Trevon walks up to them. "Hi." He speaks shyly and looks directly at Miranda, hoping she will smile at him.  
  
The three of them turn at the sound of his voice and smile politely at Trevon. "Oh, hey Trevon." Miranda is the first to greet, but doesn't smile like Trevon wants.  
  
"Hey, buddy." Declan speaks.  
  
"Hi." Peggy says with a small smile. Then all of them look at each other without anything to say. The silence that falls over them is so awkward that it makes Miranda actually feel sorry for him.  
  
Trevon doesn't like the silence at all and doesn't like the pitiful look Miranda gives him, either. He hates that look; it's the look he has always received ever since the day he was born. He doesn't want to hate her, so he changes the issue. "Any good news?"  
  
She puts one hand above her eyes to block the sunlight and looks up at him. "Not really. The same old craziness of always." She says and takes a quick suggestive look at Declan.  
  
"What??" He asks with the confusion of someone who doesn't have a clue about what she's talking about. "It's not craziness. And you love it anyway."  
  
"Yeah, Ok, I love it. It makes things... interesting."  
  
"Interesting, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Miranda exchanges a knowing look with Peggy, who smiles back at her as Miranda speaks, "Living around you is never boring." She peeks up at him and smiles.  
  
"I knew it!" He yells as he points a mocking finger at her.  
  
Trevon tries to smile at their little game but finds himself too jealous of Declan to do as much as give them an angry look. He can't believe they're flirting like that right in front of him, playing with each other as if there is no one else there. As if he is not there, because Peggy is in their game since he notices the little secret that it seems only Miranda and Peggy know.  
  
He watches as they smile together; as they look together at the same place, understand their particular jokes. Trevon is not a part of it, he's not a part of Miranda's life...  
  
... Yet.  
  
He will surprise her more than anyone has ever done.  
  
"Hmm, I gotta go now." Trevon says and they look back at him expectantly. "I still have classes."  
  
"Okay." Miranda nods.  
  
"Bye, See ya later, Miranda." He says with a smile as he walks away.  
  
"Bye." She says back and the glow of Declan's grin shining right on her face catches her attention. "What?" She asks noticing both Peggy and Declan's amused smiles.  
  
"Miranda's got a boyfriend." Declan singsongs through his laugh, it seeming impossible to him to keep the joke to himself.  
  
"Yeah, right." Miranda mutters rolling her eyes. "As if..."  
  
"Ohhh, don't tell me he's not your cute little boyfriend."  
  
Trevon hasn't walked away enough so he stops in his track when his name is mentioned and pretends to be looking around and takes a while to walk so he can hear what they're saying, expecting anxiously by Miranda's answer, but what she says actually breaks his heart into a million of tiny little pieces, it makes his whole world seems as if it is being parting before his eyes.  
  
"Not in this life."  
  
He almost turns around and goes back to them just to face Miranda and ask why she's so mean, why he can't be her boyfriend. He tried so hard to be good to her but all she can do is hurt him over and over and over. He's tired of his failed attempts to make her happy; he's not going to be so easy anymore.  
  
'Not in this life'  
  
He'll change her opinion, even if it's the last thing he does.  
  
She's not going to hurt him anymore.  
  
End of part 2! Yay! What do you think? It is good? Should I continue? Leave me a review and tell me how I'm doing. 


	3. Part 3

Obsession  
  
To disclaimer and such see part 1  
  
Obsession Part 3 – The Way We Weren't   
  
She stares at her open locker with puzzlement as she watches the little stuffed cat softly moving from where it is hanging in the inside of her locker door. She wonders how it got inside but the moment the thought crosses her mind she dismisses it as she believes it's a gift from Declan; it has to be, he's the only one that could possibly open her locker to put that inside. And that he's probably the only one that knows she likes cats.  
  
She smiles as she touches the soft material of the cat and wonders why he had given her that. He has nothing to apologize for, has he? She wonders. Declan is always doing wrongs stuff and what he can't do that finding a reason for why she'd be mad at him and why he'd give her anything is a hard job. Miranda often finds herself annoyed by him and he always believes he needs to apologize.  
  
She takes the cat form where it's hanging and holds it carefully as she puts her unnecessary for the moment books inside the locker and closes it with a loud thump. She smiles to herself and shakes her head as she thinks on about what she's going to tell Declan, tries to remember if she has any reason to be mad at him today. Because, obviously he thinks he has a reason to apologize.  
  
She turns to a different direction than the one she was going to and heads to Declan's office, hoping he's there. She knocks softly on the door out of habit and gets inside before Declan can says anything. He looks up watching to see who's there and smiles softly as he sees Miranda. "Hey." She says.  
  
"Hey." He replies softly and stops writing whatever he's writing down. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a class now?"  
  
"Yeah, actually." She chuckles softly and walks to his desk then puts the cat over it softly so he can take a look at it. "So... what do you have to tell me?"  
  
He picks the cat up and holds it in his hand, looking confused at it. "Well, it's a cute stuffed cat."  
  
Miranda rolls her eyes and sits in the chair across from him. "Declan, whatever reason you have to think I'm mad at you, I'm not... I'm not mad at you, no reason to apologize."  
  
Declan takes his eyes from the cat and looks confused at Miranda. "And why would you be mad at me?" He asks with as much honesty as of someone who doesn't have a clue of what she's talking about. "I haven't done anything to make you mad..." He says then stills his fingers and look worried at her. "Have I?"  
  
Miranda's smile fades as she sees Declan's confused expression and then her face turns into confusion. "You didn't give me the cat?" And at Declan's shake of head, she says, "Who gave it to me then?"  
  
Declan shrugs unconcerned and gives the cat back to Miranda. "Maybe your new boyfriend?"  
  
"He's not... Trevon? Do you think so?"  
  
"Well, he obviously has a crush on you." Declan whispers as if it is something confident as a grin appears over his lips.  
  
Miranda sighs and gets up. "I'll just talk to him." She says and heads out the door. How could Trevon open her locker and put the cat inside? Miranda thinks about the possibility as she goes to her class.  
  
"Trevon! Hey!" Miranda calls after Trevon as she sees him going down the stairs.  
  
At the melody of Miranda's voice, Trevon stops immediately and turns to her. "Hey." He smiles, but as always she doesn't give him a smile back.  
  
"Hey, I just wanted to ask you if you put this in my locker." She says showing him the cat.  
  
Trevon touches it delicately as if he is afraid it might break and smiles at Miranda again. "Yeah. Did you like it?"  
  
"Yes, it's pretty, but how did you get this inside my locker?" She knows she should be more polite but as long as Trevon had opened her locker without her consent and saw her personal stuff, went through it without asking; she has all the right to be angry. He has no right do go through her things like that.  
  
"Does it really matter?" He asks wondering why she seems mad; why she'd be mad at him for doing something especial to her, something nice. After all, he can do that; he has the right. "Didn't you like it?"  
  
"Yes, I liked it, but you did something you shouldn't have. You opened my locker without my permission."  
  
"Miranda," He speaks, starting to get angry with her. Why is she mad, for god's sake? He did something nice, he did something for her, she should be a little more grateful. He never thought Miranda was such an ungrateful person. Again, she's making him angry. "I did something nice for you."  
  
"I know that, but you still didn't ask my permission. I don't like people going through my stuff without asking me first, Ok? Next time, if you want to do something nice for me you can leave it somewhere else or ask me if you can open my locker or anything personal of mine."  
  
"Look," He says, rising his voice just an octave but enough to let her know he's getting angry. He can't understand why Miranda would be fucking mad at him. He just tries to do something nice and that's how she thanks him? He is ready to finish his sentence, but the loud ringing of the bell announces it's time to go for the next class.  
  
"I gotta go." Miranda says and walks away from him.  
  
Trevon only stares at Miranda's back as she quickly walks farther and farther.  
  
As soon as Miranda opens the lab door her eyes immediately catch the reddish glow of the vase of roses over the table she normally uses. Out of reflex, she looks at her right and then her left, checking to make sure no one is actually in there anymore. She walks over to the table and puts the heavy books she's caring on it before reaching one hand out and gently touching one of the roses petals.  
  
First, instinctively she smiles wondering who'd send her flowers but when a very uninvited side of her good sense comes screaming this is not for her. Her smile immediately fades as she believes that but then she takes the card in the vase and reads through it. It would have made her smile again, but unconsciously she can't smile, it isn't from who she wanted it to be, it is from Trevon.  
  
She sighs and puts the card back in the vase and stares doubly at it, wondering what she should do. She knows how lonely Trevon is, she has known him for months now and just throwing it away will only break his heart, but keeping it will make him think she has different intentions towards him from the ones she really has.  
  
She doesn't want to make him think he has any chances with her when he doesn't.  
  
Maybe if she just keeps it as a friendly gesture...  
  
Well, she can't really decide what to do right now, she has papers to work on and since Declan had already asked her to run some tests – what will take some time, she knows- she needs to start her own things now. She pushes the vase to the side and sits down, opening a couple of books.  
  
She will talk to Trevon later.  
  
Trevon stops when he sees Miranda is in the lab and tries to take a peek inside without her seeing him. He had delivered the roses a couple of minutes earlier and was very excited about his gift. Women naturally like flowers and he's sure roses will take a smile from Miranda, that's what he wants to do the most. And wants to apologize for opening her lock without her permission, she got really mad about that. She doesn't like that, now he knows and he'll never do that again.  
  
He wondered if she likes roses, but then most women do, he wouldn't get this wrong and if roses aren't her favorites then he will now and he'll get the right ones next time. Michelle's favorites are lilies and he'd get her lost of it in the beginning of their relationship and she was always happy about that but after a while his gifts didn't seem to make her happy anymore. They'd fight a lot because she didn't want to be with him anymore and he'd end up hurting her because she wouldn't listen so he'd buy her lilies.  
  
He doesn't want to buy Miranda flowers as a way to apologize; he wants to do that because she's nice, because she deserves it, because she's worthy. He wants to show her he's better than the professor, he deserves her more than that scatter brained professor. He doesn't deserve her; he's just a loser. He shouldn't even be her friend the way he is, Trevon has to make Miranda see that, has to make her open her eyes and see who will be a good man to her.  
  
He truly hopes she'll apologize him after she gets those roses. He doesn't want her to be mad at him; not that she really has any reason to...  
  
Trevon hears heavy footsteps and looks up to see professor Dunn running to his direction and he quickly pretends to be doing something else instead of spying on Miranda. Declan runs right past him and gets inside the lab.  
  
"I need those tests results right now." Declan storms inside the lab as his eyes immediately search for Miranda and find her sitting quietly on a stool, apparently very focused on her work.  
  
At the sharp sound of his voice, she turns around looking startled at Declan. "What?!"  
  
"The results!" He snaps his fingers in front of her. "They're taking the statue away! I need the results."  
  
"Declan, I'm busy! I haven't even started to work on them!"  
  
"What?? I asked that two hours ago! I thought you'd have something by now."  
  
"No, you said you needed them by tomorrow! I have things to do, ok? I can't leave my papers for later to run your tests. How could I imagine you'd need them so soon?"  
  
Declan opens his mouth to argue but when some good sense knocks on him he only stares back at her with his mouth half open. He is nervous because the people from the museum are there to take the supposed miraculous statue back to where it should be and he was only discounting on her. Even through his nervousness and anger he can see how unfair he's being to her, but before he can apologize a very pissed off Trevon storms inside the lab, too.  
  
"Hey, is everything ok?" He asks staring with narrowed eyes at Declan as he stands beside Miranda and puts a hand over her shoulder.  
  
She looks up completely dumbfounded at him and clears her throat as she stands herself and discreetly walks away from his uninvited touch. "Yeah," She says a little disturbed and then glances quickly at Declan. "We were just having an argument."  
  
"It didn't seem like just an argument... He was yelling." Trevon replies, staring hardly at Declan, daring the professor to face him. He heard how he was talking to her, as if she has to do those tests for him. She's not his maid, he wants to tell him; she's not his property or anything for the matter. Declan Dunn has no rights over her, and yet he treats her as if he could tell Miranda what do to.  
  
She's a lady, she's nice to him, she's always doing anything he asks her to do and he still argues with her. He knows how important college papers are and that you need to put all of your concentration on it and Declan isn't helping her at all demanding from her what he does. He thinks she has all the time in the world for him and Trevon just hates that.  
  
"He wasn't yelling..." Miranda starts but Declan finishes her sentence with his own words.  
  
"... Not that you really have anything with that." And soon as the words leave Declan's mouth Miranda stares wide-eyed at him but his rude choice of words. And she's not the only one for Trevon keeps looking at him surprised. Who the hell he thinks he is to talk to Trevon like that? He is just a Goddamn professor and has no right to be rude in his remarks, especially when he's defending Miranda.  
  
"Hmm, ok, now guys." Miranda speaks up sensing their male hormones speaking for them. Is that really happening? Are they actually fighting over her? Well, she doesn't really want to know... "I really need to do my paper. Declan, I'll have your results by tomorrow like I had told you. Now could both of you leave, please?"  
  
"Fine." Declan mutters and turn to leave before Trevon. He knows he can't argue with a student for something like that. Even if it is about Miranda and Trevon has no right to interfere in their conversation the way he did Declan would be the one to hear a speech, and not Trevon.  
  
Instead of leaving, Trevon just stands there, looking expectantly at Miranda but with a apologizing expression on. "Miranda..."  
  
"I asked you too leave." She says quietly as she sits down again.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry..."  
  
Miranda puts a hand on her chin, supporting it and sighs as she tries to focus on her book again. "It was just a misunderstood." She speaks quietly again.  
  
Trevon stares at her as his forehead turns into a frown and he narrows his eyes. If Miranda was facing him she'd be able to see little sparks of imagined fire coming from Trevon's green eyes as he focus on her black hair. He can't believe she's actually dismissing him with such an easy as if he is anyone – as if he's the damned professor.  
  
He can't help but let all the anger boils up inside him again. For a lightening moment he wonders if it's really worthy being with her, if all he's doing is really worthy. He tries to be good to her but she just doesn't seem to notice it. He apologized, what more would she possibly want? What more can he do? He gave her the flowers –which she didn't even thanked him for- and is being nice and polite. She has no right to mistreat him like that, she has no right to just ask him to leave like that. She can be rude to that professor that treats her so badly, but him no; she can't treat Trevon as if he is like the professor.  
  
Trevon clenches his hands, trying to make his anger go away by applying his force on them instead of Miranda's beautiful face. Suddenly he feels the necessity to break something and being with Miranda will only make him hurt her. He doesn't want to hurt Miranda like he hurt Michelle –Michelle deserved and as hard as he tries to stop himself Miranda is deserving to be hurt too, she can't just ignore him like that.  
  
"I said I was sorry, what more do you want?"  
  
"Look Trevon," She starts as she turns around on her tool to face him. "I asked Declan to leave and he did, why can't you?" She says softly. "I'm busy, OK? I have things to do, I need to study."  
  
The worse isn't how she's acting towards him but how she spoke with him. The slight hint of rudeness and impatience in her voice is enough to make him even angrier. He always speaks with her nicely so she has no right to be rude with him. She has no right to...  
  
Suddenly, when the anger is just too much to bear, he smashes his hand over the table, right beside Miranda's book, making it jump slightly with the force of his hand colliding with the table. "Damn it Miranda!" Caught completely by surprise, the impact and the unfamiliar angry tone in his voice, scaring the shit out of Miranda, she jumps to her feet stepping away from the sound and Trevon's hand as far as possible. Seeing the frightened and surprised look in her eyes, Trevon takes a couple of steps to her as he runs one hand through his blond silk hair. "I-I'm sorry... I just-I..."  
  
"You know what?" She whispers with what is left of her already very quiet voice. "I'll just find somewhere else to study." She mumbles and quickly picks up all her books, heading quickly as possible to the door.  
  
"Miranda, wait... Let's just..." Trevon starts to say but she doesn't hear the rest of his sentence for she's already out of the door, "talk."  
  
He knew this would happen. He knew it. He doesn't know what is wrong with women but they just don't seem to be satisfied enough, they just don't seem to be glad with how things are. He's nice, he's good, he gives her gifts and still she just treats him like that and when he loses his mind he can't apologize because she doesn't even give him the time to do that. She turns his back on him...  
  
He'll let her know she can't turn his back on him like that.  
  
End of part 3! For more parts review please. 


	4. Part 4

Obsession 4

To disclaimer and such see part 1

* * *

**Obsession Part 4 – Dangerous Mind **

* * *

He knows he made her mad again; he's always pissing her off, but he knows too that that is just a façade because she likes working for him; he knows she likes to do what she does. He knows she likes him. Sometimes he pushes her too much, but he can't help it, he doesn't notice when he does that and it isn't until too late and she's already mad that he has to make things right again.  
  
He'd never do anything to hurt her on purpose; he'd never do anything to harm her as long as he can help it. She may be very good at hiding her feelings deep down in her so no one will see it, no one will see she's hurt, but Declan does... well, most of the times anyway. He knows when she's mad at him even when she tries to hide it, to dismiss it. When she says she's ok even if she isn't, all he can do is to pretend he believes her. If he tries to make her open up she'll only close herself up more.  
  
He has to talk to her and make sure she won't stay mad at for too long. He hates himself when he sees that look in her eyes, that look that only gets there when he does something wrong. It's like her eyes aren't as shiny as they use to be, as if she's not smiling anymore. Sure, Miranda doesn't smile often, not with her lips. All the times her smile doesn't appear on her mouth, it goes up directly to her eyes and shines there.  
  
If he thinks like that he sees her smiling all the time. Except when she's mad at him. He doesn't want to turn off the only sparkle inside her, if he does, how he will spread the fire trough the rest of her and make it burn inside her?  
  
Nope, he can't do that.  
  
As he turns to walk through the corridor Declan bumps into someone who is quickly walking and didn't saw him coming. The books the person is holding fall to the floor with a loud sound and Declan finally focuses on who he bumped. "Miranda! Sorry, didn't see you coming." He says and bends down to pick her books up.  
  
"It's-It's ok." She stutters taking the books quickly from Declan's hands and ready to walk away.  
  
"Hey, Miranda." He says, putting a soft hand on her arm, stopping her from going. She doesn't run to face him but he can sense something is wrong; he can feels Miranda shivering slightly under his touch. The first thing that comes to his mind as to what could have made Miranda act like that is that she's still very, very pissed at him. "I'm sorry, OK? I didn't mean to yell at you like that."  
  
"It's not you, all right?" She says softly as she gently pulls her arm away from his hold. "I just have..." She starts when she's fully free from Declan's hand bur as if his warmth gives her strength, now without it she can't get the words out of her mouth.  
  
Declan, for the first time –no, second, he adds mentally as he remembers two years earlier- he can see how vulnerable she is and how hard she's trying to hide it. He puts a hand again on her shoulder and asks, "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing." She answers too quickly, what immediately catches Declan's attention and he knows that if he doesn't push her she won't tell what is it.  
  
He takes his hand from her should and puts his whole arm around her, pulling his to him as the other hand takes her books from her and he carries it for her. "You're shivering." He whispers rhetorically and rubs his hand up and down her upper arm as he pulls her into him even more. "Come on." He says then leads her down the corridor and to his office.  
  
From the darkest corner Trevon watches them, his big bright eyes now dark with fury as small sparkles of fire almost can light up in them. He had a momentary lose of patience and she can't understand that, she just flies out of the room as if he is some kind of freak. In spite of all his attempts to apologize she wouldn't listen and now, the professor doesn't need even to say a full sentence and she's already in his arms...  
  
So, she likes men that hurt her, men that make her suffer, use her, because that's what it seems. All this time he's been nice to her, been kind and polite, he had never once yelled at her –until today, but everyone can lose their patience once in a while. Is completely normal to be in a bad mood, to be nervous and in the very first time Trevon loses his mind she can't handle it.  
  
Why can she put up with Professor Dunn's mistreat and she can't endure the only time Trevon is mad and actually shows it? Well... it doesn't really matter. If she wants to be Declan's little maid Trevon can treat her the same way. Maybe then she will like him the same way she likes Declan Dunn.  
  
He won't endure seeing her in the professor's arms anymore. She will be his it doesn't matter what he has to do for that to come true.

* * *

Declan opens the door to his office and lets Miranda goes inside first, and then he enters the room and closes the door firmly behind him. After he gently helps her to sit on the couch he puts her books over his desk and sits beside her. She's still shaking, he can notice so he takes her both hands in his and rubs it softly with his own warm ones. "Hey, Miranda it's ok." He says softly, looking deeply at her. "It's ok."  
  
"Yeah." She murmurs barely above a whisper, which does not ensure Declan, much less herself.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Nothing you should be worried about."  
  
"Have I done anything to make you this mad??"  
  
"No!" She looks up immediately; stunned he can think such a thing but the moment her eyes meet his she regrets it for it's obvious he can see the fear lingering in her eyes so she turns her head down again.  
  
"Miranda..." He whispers and takes one of his hands from hers to put a gently finger under her chin and bring her eyes up to his. As much as she tries to shut him out her eyes just can't seem to do the same; as she shuts her mouth and stops whatever true word to come out of it her eyes keep open and let him know all that is inside her soul. The deep azure of her eyes is bright and beautiful and honest that it always amazes Declan. "Tell me." He says softly knowing through her eyes something bad happened but needing the sound of her voice and her own words to make him sure.  
  
"I don't want to tall you." She whispers almost ashamed as she tries desperately to avert her eyes.  
  
"Why-why not?" He asks somewhat hurt by her meaningful words. "Don't you trust me?" He asks again, terrified that her response would be the only one he doesn't want to hear.  
  
She widen her eyes at him, stunned beyond words he'd even doubt it for a single moment. "Of course I do! What kind of question is that?"  
  
"So tell me."  
  
"I can't. If I tell you, you'll make a big deal of this and I don't want to put you in trouble."  
  
"In more trouble than I already am in?" He asks rhetorically as a tentative smile appears over his lips. "No way. Tell me."  
  
"Declan..."  
  
"Please."  
  
She sighs in defeat, knowing that he won't stop bugging her until she gives in. Turning so she can face him fully, Miranda slowly and carefully tells him what happened –watching herself to hide small details.

* * *

Declan stomps angrily through the university corridors searching for Trevon. He is in the very edge of beating up the shit out of that smartass little piece of nothing. He can't believe someone would have the courage to threaten Miranda, especially Trevon. Miranda is so quiet and nice to everyone; she never gets herself into trouble – except when Declan is involved. She's the nicest person Declan's ever known, incapable of hurting a single small live being.  
  
How Miranda told Declan how scared she was makes his heart breaks. The sound of her voice so scared and seeming like one of a small child makes him feel so much angry with Trevon, how he broke the trust Miranda has on him. She trusted him, believed him and he does something to make her out of herself.  
  
And all of that because she wouldn't listen to his apologies.  
  
If Trevon is someone of losing his mind because of a small thing like that Declan is definitely sure he's not a good person, he's not someone Miranda should be around with. Declan knows he's not her father and he has not right to interfere in her life like that but as long as it threatens her safety and well-being he would get in the way. He cares too much about Miranda and just by the thought that someone would make her frightened was enough to make Declan get things right.  
  
He won't let that boy threaten her with physical harm. No way in hell.  
  
Declan walks quickly out of the university and looks around searching for any sign of Trevon and then he finally spots the student sitting by himself reading a book. He gets himself together and tries to make some of his anger go away as he walks to where Trevon is sitting.  
  
As soon as Declan gets close enough and Trevon can hear his footsteps he looks up and is greeted with the furious expression of the professor. "Hello, professor Dunn." He says politely smiling a little at him.  
  
Declan doesn't say anything back but the rude remark he has already rehearsed. "I'll say this only once, and you better listen because the next time I won't be so polite." Trevon gives him a shocked and confused expression, narrowing his eyes at Declan, but he doesn't give Trevon time enough to reply. "I don't want you anywhere near Miranda again, understood?"  
  
"I'm sorry??" Trevon chuckles out thinking this is a joke Miranda is playing on him. Maybe she's only trying to make up with him but doesn't have courage enough to do so after the rude exit she made from the lab.  
  
"You heard me, you little..." but before Declan has the mistake of saying something he shouldn't, he stops himself and gather his grip again. "Don't you ever get near Miranda again. If you ever hurt her I swear I'm going to haunt you down and make you suffer for what you make to her."  
  
At this point Trevon is sure this is not joke, much less from Miranda and he stands up, getting eye to eye with Declan. "Look, professor, I have no idea of what you're talking about and even if I did I don't think 'you have anything to do with that' right?" Trevon sneer openly repeating Declan's words.  
  
Declan takes a step closer to Trevon becoming face to face with him, their bodies only a few inches of distance, close enough so Declan can easily reach one hand out and give Trevon a full blow on the face. "I told you I wouldn't say it again. Don't get anywhere near Miranda again." He says slowly with clenched teeth, using all his mighty not to hurt Trevon and steps ways from him, heading back to the university before Trevon can says another word.  
  
So that's what Miranda does? After all he's done to her she just goes to the damned professor and tell lies about him like that so he can look like the bad guy? She's the little bitch that turned his life into hell. He didn't ask to feel for her what he does, he didn't ask anything from her, all he did was to try and be good to her and that's how she thanks him...  
  
That's how all women are, just a bunch of unthankful whores. Michelle was just like her and she got what she deserved. Now if Miranda will act like Michelle he can't let that happen. Not again.

* * *

Miranda tiredly takes her books from the locker and closes it as soon as she's done. The loud thump of the door hitting its place echoes through her mind as she tries to forget the last day.  
  
She still can't believe Trevon is such a violent man. He had been so nice to her all that time, since he got here from the other university but then, suddenly just because of a small misunderstood he got so nervous –nervous enough to hit the table the way he did and scaring her like no one has ever done.  
  
She sighs and shakes her head slightly to shut the thoughts in the very bottom of her head and forget about them forever. She replaces her books on her arms so they won't fall to the floor and starts walking to the classroom but as soon as she takes two steps a pair of strong arms pull her to a corner, pressing her against the wall. She is startled at first, her mind not working quickly enough to make out anything but when it finally does and she can focus on who is in front of her, dread take over her completely.  
  
"How could you do this to me?" Trevon whispers so no one can hear him. "Haven't I been good for you?"  
  
She tries to regain her composure before speaking so her voice won't come out sound as much scared as she actually is. "Trevon..." She whispers. "Look, you were nice, but you're not like the guy I met a few months ago."  
  
"Oh no? Am I worse now or something? Because I must be really a monster for you to tell the professor to threaten me." He says with visible fury in his voice as he takes one hand away from her shoulder and palms it soundly and loudly on the wall a couple of inches away from her head, a move that makes Miranda flinch startled.  
  
"I didn't tell him to threaten you..." She whispers trying with all her mighty to keep the tears at bay.  
  
"Why wouldn't you just accept my apologies?" He speaks, cutting her off with a small hint of anger in his voice, his eyes dark with what seems to be thrill for seeing her in such a vulnerable situation. "You know I would never hurt you. You know me, don't you?"  
  
She sighs and with a sad look lingering in her eyes, she stares at him. "I used to, but not anymore." She whispers just as sad and pulls herself out of his hold then walks away from him and before getting far enough she calls over shoulder, "Don't come after me again, please. I don't want to see you anymore."  
  
Trevon only watches as she walks farther from him, physically but not mentally. Never mentally and as long as he can help it, not physically either. He'll find a way to make this right; he'll find a way to bring Miranda closer to him, to make her his. He wants her and he will have her.

* * *

End of one more part! Review, please so I will know you like and that I can post more. 


	5. Part 5

**Obsession 5  
**  
To disclaimer and such see part 1  
  
Author's note: I had this chapter done for a long time now, but didn't really feel like updating... Yeah, sorry, I know... But because of ScullySayer's review I so had to update. Oh boy, you really made me happy with your review. I'm so overwhelmed and happy that you like this history so much to add it to your fav histories list. Thank you very much   
  
You begged so very nicely that here I'm updating   
  
Thank you for all the rwviews.  
  
MW-MW

**Obsession Part 5 - Beware of Dog**

MW-MW  
  
Mole barks loudly as soon as the familiar scent reaches his nose and he stands, leaving his peaceful slumber to another time. He goes to the door and starts to scratch it as an attempt to get the door open.  
  
Declan looks away from the papers he's reading to the barking dog and with the authoritarian voice he learned to use with gods, he says "Mole, quiet!" The dog stops barking to only whine now. "Come on, Mole, quiet." He says again, looking at the door, waiting to see if someone will comes through it and then finally the door opens and Miranda gets inside, not before of being attacked by a happy dog.  
  
"Hi, mole." She says bending down a little to pet the mutt. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fairly fine, thank you." Declan answers for the dog, as a smile creeps over his lips. For some reason the single sight of Miranda makes his heart skips a beat and makes him want to smile more. "And how are you?"  
  
Miranda looks up form Mole to Declan, rolling her eyes a bit, but still a smile managing to find a way over her lips. "I'm very fine, thank you." She says, deciding to play along with him.  
  
"That's good." He nods then adopting a more serious face he says, "And how are you, really?"  
  
Miranda sighs and walks to the couch, sitting down -Mole following suit and jumping on the couch to site next to her, resting his head over her lap. She brings one hand to Mole's ear and scratches there. "I'm ok." She starts but stops for a lightening moment, deciding whether to tell him or not abut the little encounter she has with Trevon. "I had a little... small talk with Trevon today." She says barely over a whisper.  
  
"What??" He exclaims looking down at her.  
  
"Yeah..." She sighs deeply and leans back to rest her head on the back of the couch. "I was going to class and he stopped me."  
  
"Did he..." Declan starts but he trails off afraid to hear exactly what he didn't want to. He sits down beside Miranda where Mole isn't and stares at her. "Did he hurt you?"  
  
Miranda shakes her head quickly, assuring him nothing happened but not wanting to tell him the little part of the punch on the wall; she can already sense all the worry Declan is feeling, putting more on him won't do any good. "No, of course not. I don't think he'd really hurt me, anyway."  
  
"I don't know Miranda... I wouldn't put such faith on him anymore." Declan sighs and leans back too. "I told him not to come after you anymore, but he did." He mumbles trying to hold back his anger. He told the boy to not come after her but he did and he scared her again. He'd have to have a good talk with Trevon.  
  
"Look, he didn't do anything, ok? Let's just forget it. I told him not to come after me. That's it."  
  
"And you think he's going to do that?" He asks turning to face her fully as she does the same, making Mole takes his head from her lap and sits.  
  
"I hope so." She says honestly.  
  
"Me too." Declan nods as he keeps staring at her. She's beautiful, that's the only coherent thought that comes to his mind. Her eyes shine so much it is almost blinding, it's almost as if he is looking at the sun and has to close his eyes not to let them burn. The good thing about Miranda's eyes, though, is that he doesn't need to close his eyes; he can stares at them forever without harming him at all.  
  
She may be a very serious girl, she may have her expression always bland, without any sign of emotion, but her eyes betray her, through her eyes he can know how she's feeling, he can see her smile. The brightness of these deep blue pools make her face glow, makes her look like an angel.  
  
Now and then he catches himself wondering how it would be to kiss her, how it would be to feel her soft lips against his own. When he does catch himself he quickly shakes his head, trying to send these thoughts far away from his mind. These times he looks at Miranda like that, with this kind of thoughts is when he regrets Emma, regrets the time he spent with Emma when he could be spending with Miranda.  
  
Well, maybe it isn't too late, huh?  
  
Miranda let out a breath and locks eyes with his as a sweet smile creeps up his face. He waits patiently for her to smile, hoping she will and after a second he's not disappointed; that smile he longs so much to see comes over her face and she shines it to him, only him -yes, only him, truth be told, he's never seen Miranda smiling to anyone else the way she smiles at him and that can be a little male sort of thing, but he likes it, it makes him feel especial.  
  
As soon as Declan opens his mouth to say something, a clever remark about her smile or something alike the door of his office opens and Peggy happily comes in. "Hi there, everybody." She greets.  
  
"Hi, Peggy."  
  
"Hey, Peg."  
  
Peggy stops in the middle of the room, looking at both of them with a frown, noticing something is not good. "What is it? What happened?"  
  
Declan looks first at Miranda as if asking for permission to talk and stands as soon as their eyes meet. "That Trevon guy."  
  
"He came after Miranda again?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
Peggy takes her eyes from Declan and looks with a very worried expression at Miranda. "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"  
  
"No, Peggy, he didn't hurt me. I'm fine." She sighs, suddenly feeling very tired of them asking her that all the time.  
  
Declan, sensing her change of mood, turns at her and smile again. "What do you think of heading out to get a bite?" He then looks at Peggy.  
  
Peggy smiles and nods. "That'd be lovely." Then both of them look at Miranda waiting her to answer.  
  
"Yeah, ok. I'm feeling a little hungry." She says and gets up from the couch, mole quickly standing too.  
  
"Come on, mole." Declan says beckoning to the dog. "Let's go all have a good meal." And silently they left Declan's office.  
  
MW-MW-MW-MW  
  
The moment Miranda's laugh reaches Trevon's ears he looks up from the notebook in his lap and searches around for Miranda's face and half a second later he sees her getting inside Declan's red truck as he holds the door open for her and the psychiatrist gets in through the other door.  
  
She's laughing... he doesn't know why, but that's the first time he ever hears her laughing and Holy Lord, that's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. He's hypnotized, enchanted by the sound of her laugh, the soft small little noises coming from her mouth. He wishes so badly he was the one making her laugh and not that... it's always the professor... If Trevon wasn't as persistent as he is he'd have given up on Miranda long ago, because seeing how she acts around the professor, -wanting to amaze him, to make him look at her, pay attention to her, any small little thing just to make him notice she's there- is something very discouraging. But he's not going to give up on this.  
  
He wants her; he has never wanted someone so badly in his life, not even Michelle. Miranda has something especial, he can feels that, she's especial. Since the moment he laid eyes on her he feels he has some kind of connection with her. Whenever she is there he feels like something he's never been. He feels like he can spend the rest of his life with her.  
  
But she just seems to not want the same thing.  
  
How can she be with someone that treats her badly when Trevon can be everything to her? He can be much better than the professor, much gentler, much better. He doesn't treat her as if she's his, like the professor; sure, he loses his mind sometimes, but who doesn't? It's not possibly human to be patient all the time and with Miranda, she just has the thing about making him mad more often than she should.  
  
But that's not a problem. Trevon just needs to teach her how to act, how to be. He just needs to show her these little irritating habits she has and why she makes him mad. Her knowing what makes him mad will end all of this, if she knows what makes him mad she won't do that anymore. So simple and easy, he just needs time with her.  
  
"Wait!" Miranda shouts suddenly and Trevon looks at her startled only to see her getting out of the truck. "My cell phone is not with me, I think I forgot it in your office."  
  
"Oh, okay." Declan steps back so Miranda can walk past him.  
  
"I'll just go get. Be back in a minute." She says and runs off back to the university, but before she can take ten steps away Declan calls her back.  
  
"Miranda!" She stops and turns to look back then, when he's sure she's looking, Declan raises his hand, showing the small silver object hanging from one finger. "I think you forgot this too."  
  
Miranda sighs as she rolls her eyes and comes back. "Thanks." She chuckles taking the key to his office from him, her fingers brushing his hand as she took the key, and they exchanges an awkward look then Miranda looks away blushing slightly. "Be right back." She mutters and runs again.  
  
Trevon watches as she runs right past him without seeing him and is glad she doesn't because the anger he's feeling right know would be too obvious in his eyes and she'd probably run away from him again or himself would end up doing something he shouldn't.  
  
He couldn't help but notice the awkwardness between them a second later and that only makes things worse when he saw their hands touching. It's been always like that, he's never liked professor Dunn touching Miranda, never, and actually seeing that his touch had such affect on her only makes things worse. Miranda only keeps playing with him. She has to choose between them and he has to make sure she will choose him and not the professor.  
  
If she does, she will regret it forever.  
  
MW-MW-MW-MW  
  
Declan turns the engine off and looks at Miranda as a small smile shows on. "There we go." He says softly.  
  
"Thanks for the ride." She says back and opens the passenger's door. "Though you have to come pick me up tomorrow morning." She teases and flashes him a beautiful smile.  
  
"Oh, it's definitely worth it." He chuckles as he learns by heart all of her traces, locking her happy expression inside his mind for future use. It's so rare to see Miranda smiling like that and today, during their mean she had smiled more than he's ever seen her smiling; and he really likes it. He was so excited by her good mood in spite of things with Trevon that he had offered himself to take her home.  
  
Miranda blushes shyly and rolls her eyes -something she seems to be doing awfully lot lately- then she steps out of the car and closes the door with a thump. "Thanks again. See you tomorrow."  
  
"Good night, Miranda."  
  
"Good night." She calls over her shoulder and heads to her building entrance. Declan watches as she struggles to take the key out of her pocket and open the door. As Miranda gets in she turns around and waves at Declan, who waves back at her then she closes the door and Declan waits until she's safely inside before turning the engine on again and driving away.  
  
MW-MW-MW-MW  
  
Even before she opens the door she feels something is odd. She can't really put her finger on it, she only knows something doesn't feel quite right, just... knows. She freezes in her place and looks carefully to her right and then to her left, checking if anyone is around. After she's sure no one is stalking in a corner somewhere she puts the key in the hole and turns it. Maybe she's just being silly about it, maybe she's just still shaken up because of Trevon.  
  
Miranda opens her apartment door and as the odd feeling doesn't go away, she fist peeks inside, looking around and making sure she's really alone. She doesn't know what is it, maybe no one is in there right now but she's almost sure someone -was- there. She waits for a minute, listening for any strange or unfamiliar sound but nothing happens. She's nearly afraid that the moment she puts a foot inside someone will grab her and knock her off.  
  
Miranda chuckles at himself for that; she's totally being stupid. Shaking the weird feeling off, she takes her black coat off as she enters her place and hangs it on the hanger beside the door then shuts the door behind her with her foot. Passing through the hall she throws her keys over the hall table and heads to her to take off her shoes and some of her heavy clothes.  
  
She's so tired all she wants to do is to take a hot, relaxing shower and crash on the bed. Tomorrow she has to get up for 9 am class, something she should know by now is definitely not healthy, but Miranda is too responsible and takes her studies seriously, so to her it doesn't really matter at what time she has classes.  
  
After she takes her shoes off she pads back through the hall and heads to the kitchen to drink some iced tea before taking a shower. As she passes by the dinner table in the kitchen she feels the odd feeling again and when she turns to look she immediately sees the small white piece of paper peacefully lying over the table.  
  
For the second time she freezes with fright.  
  
Miranda's breath starts to come out heavy and in small amounts as she is still in her frozen place. Out of reflex she looks around, even knowing that whoever was in her apartment is not there anymore; otherwise the person would have attacked her already. When life returns to her limbs she walks slowly to the table and looks down at the paper.  
  
-Don't play games with me Love T-  
  
What scares her the most isn't what is written in the paper, but the fact that he actually had gotten in her apartment, that he had been in there when she wasn't and that he could've been still there and could've hurt her the moment she got inside. Miranda stares at the piece of paper again. It seems unreal, jarring to her sense of reality. A single piece of paper, words written on it; and now she's finally beginning to digest it.  
  
She knows she can't touch the paper, everything she has learned tells her not to touch, to call the authorities, call someone, do something. But she is numb, she doesn't know what to do, who to call. Frozen in place, that's how Miranda is.  
  
Finally, good sense coming back to her, she picks up the telephone to dial someone's number. For a moment she can only think blank, no one's number comes to her mind but then Declan's name comes and she dials his number as quickly as her trembling fingers allow her.  
  
The phone rings once, twice, three times, then when all of her hopes are fading away, the sweet sound of his voice reaches her blurry mind. "Hello?"  
  
"Declan?" She whispers as the first set of tears starts to wash down her face.  
  
"Oh, hey Miranda. Is something wrong?" He asks already worried after he hears her tone of voice and how teary it seems.  
  
"Can you..." She starts but as she looks at the note again the words fail her. "Can you come back?" She tries again.  
  
"What happened?" He asks a little more rushed this time and the sound of tires screeching she knows he's already coming for her.  
  
"There's-there's this note.... It's from Trevon. He was here."  
  
"Ok, hold on. I'm coming."  
  
"Please..." She murmurs and at the dial tone she hangs up her phone too.  
  
MW-MW-MW-MW  
  
End of part 5! Wow that's good! So, what do you think? Worthy a review? Tell me!


	6. Part 6

**Obsession 6**

To disclaimer and such see part 1

**Author's note:** Okay, so I was reading the last chapter and just now I realized that I wrote Miranda has a cell phone. I don't remember if she really has one , probably not, but just pretend she does, for the sake of this fic -. And this part, well, I just think it's too sappy, lol.

And again, thank you for all the reviews

**MW-MW-MW **

**Obsession **

**Part 6 - Closer **

**MW-MW-MW**

It seems like it took forever for him to get there, but she knows it must have only been a couple of minutes, just maybe five for him to get from whatever he was when she called to her apartment. He has already taken her home several times after late night meals, or when he made her stay late working with him and it has always been innocent, until a while back. She doesn't know when she started to see him in a different light but she does and now there's no way she can change that. She's not innocent anymore.

She's crouched down just outside her apartment door, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head resting on them. In that position she believes no one can hurt her, no one can get close enough to even threaten her; that's what she believes, that's the illusion she has. She knows it's stupid... if someone wants to hurt her it wouldn't really matter how she is, she'd get hurt. She's not scared anymore, though, the frozen moment has passed and now she just doesn't know how to feel, how to react.

But Declan is coming.

It's funny how her brain seems to count on him even when she's not aware of it, how Miranda seems to need him more than she's never depended on someone, more than she's able to admit. She doesn't know what exactly is it that attracts her to him; she can feel something pulling her towards him, something that can't be put into words. Just something, so she believes this must be something especial.

Sometimes she wonders if he feels the same. Not exactly how she feels but if there's at least a tiny little part of him that thinks about her in a especial way, that doesn't think of her only as a friend, or worse, as a sister. She doesn't want to really think he thinks of her as a sister, that will only break her heart more than it already is.

She can hear the door opening to the stairway, suddenly the metallic sound muffling the dark night silence. Is it him? Her heart starts to beat more rapid at the thought of it. She hears the pounding of feet against the stairs and there's another thought that invades her mind, playing with her sanity -what if it's someone else? What if it's the someone that entered her home, violated her sense of space? What if it's Trevon doing exactly what she had asked him not to do?

"Miranda?" She hears and the voice sounds as if the one of an angel, ready to come and take her by the hand, back home.

Declan, her brain cries out and she struggles to stand as he comes around the corner of the hallway. He stops as he sees her trying to support herself against the doorframe. She watches as he comes to her and when he's close enough she clings to him and he scoops her in his arms.

"What happened?" He asks even though he knows what happened, he just needs to hear again, make sure the panic he felt when she called is only a trick of his brain.

No such a luck, though.

"Trevon was here." She says as a chill runs down her spine making her voice seem as if it's breaking. Declan lets go of Miranda and goes inside her apartment with her following behind. "I already checked. There's no one in here anymore."

"Ok..." Declan nods. "Just-just making sure." He shrugs and turns to the kitchen where he sees the small note still lying where Miranda had found it. "We got to call the authorities. Did you call the authorities?"

She shakes her head and looks at floor as she puts her arms around herself to stop a very inappropriate, uninvited shiver and sighs. Declan immediately looks at her at hearing her sigh and walks to her, his heart breaking for seeing her in such a vulnerable state, then he wraps his arms around her, hugging her. She sighs again, but this time of satisfaction. The warmth of Declan's arms is definitely what she needs most right now.

He pulls back after a while and places a gentle small kiss on her forehead just as he had done a while back, when Miranda was in the hospital. He gives her a warm smile and she returns it, giving him one of her own.

She doesn't take her hands from around him, so he leaves his hands around her back and stares into her eyes. It hurts so much to see her like that, to see the life of that beautiful, amazing woman being wasted with such a moron as Trevon. She doesn't deserve to go through all that, to suffer the way she's suffering. But at least Declan is there for her; he promises he's going to always be there whenever she needs him.

Miranda's eyes go from his for a second to the paper over the table and then looks back at him, with visible fear in her eyes. Suddenly he knows he'll never feel as strongly for another person as he does at that moment. As he returns her gaze, that simple realization makes him wish for the millionth time that he could make all this go away.

"Come on." Declan whispers taking one of his arms from around her but keeping the other around her shoulder as he guides her to the telephone. "Let's call the cops and then you're staying at my place."

**MW-MW-MW-MW**

Miranda lets her suitcase fall heavily on the bed in Declan's room as soon as she's inside. She looks around, taking in her surroundings. As far as she can remember she has never seen Declan's bedroom and would never imagine it is so.... His.

There are pictures everywhere, of everyone, even Miranda's. There're a few she can't even remember were taken but for some reason she feels her heart warms as she sees that Declan has frames with her photos near the bed, or that he even has photos of her. It sillily makes her smile.

The walls are white and nearly covered with poster and paints as if he is a still a teenager with his idols of rock. And just as a teenager's bedroom, his is just as messy -she wouldn't expect otherwise. The bed is covered with a big fluffy blue blanket and she feels tempted to feel the softness of it; so, without thinking, she just sits on it and closes her eyes, letting the events of the day float out of her mind.

All she wants to do is to crash on the bed and sleep for the rest of her life.

But his soft voice stops her thoughts. "I'll set some towels for you of you want to take a shower."

Miranda opens her eyes and gazes at his soft brown ones. "Thanks."

"Make yourself at home." He smiles sweetly and heads out of the room after her nod.

Maybe, even if with all this bad situation she can take some advantage out of it. If it means she can be closer to Declan, than she will look at this and thinks as a good thing instead of the frightening effect this is having on her. She won't let Trevon scare her the way he wants.

**MW-MW-MW-MW**

It hasn't been even twenty minutes that he has settled into the sofa when he hears footsteps pad coming down the short hall of his apartment. Declan looks up to find Miranda standing in the room, leaned up against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself. Under the night light provided by nature he can see the silver glow on Miranda's cheeks, looking wet as if she has been crying.

"Hey." He says softly eyeing her carefully.

"Declan?" She says his name with the same voice of a scared child.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

He's frozen. After all these years investigating the mysterious, the unnatural, seeing strange things, for the first time he finds himself amazed. For the first time since he's known Miranda she's being completely honest, she's opening herself enough to let him know what she's actually feeling instead of what she wants people to see. She looks so small standing there in her oversized sleeping t-shirt, her face wet and her expression of openly fear that it breaks his heart for the second time today. He briefly imagines her uttering the same words to her mom or dad as a young child, seeking for their comfort after a nightmare.

Declan sits up in the bed to get a better look at her and decides she has definitely been crying. Her cheeks are streaked with tears and her chest is heaving slightly with the shaky breaths of a person who has recently been gasping between sobs. He curses himself for not having heard her cries and gone to her sooner.

"Of what?" He asks slowly having been bewildered out of his dozing slumber and realizing the stupidity of the question he is making but a little too late to take it back.

Miranda shifts her feet on the shag carpet and wraps her arms around herself tighter. She chuckles sadly as she thinks about what to answer. "Everything..." She shrugs as the words leave her mouth.

Declan notices how hard it is for to be saying the words, to show so much vulnerability to the point of needing someone. He gets the impression that this is her way of telling him she would rather not be alone right now. He stands and walks to her, once again wrapping his arms around her, substituting her arms for his.

"It's ok." He whispers softly in her ear and that action sends a welcome warmth through her body. "I promise everything is going to be ok."

"I know." She whispers back, settling her head in the warm hook of his neck and closes her eyes, pretending that -if even for a moment- her world is not as bad as it seems.

Declan puts a soft hand on her hair and gently tucks his fingers through it, running them up and down, giving her all the comfort he can -the comfort she allows him to give her. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" He asks softly.

She nods her head from where it's resting and lets out a small, breathy sigh. "Please."

"Ok." He says and pulls back, taking her hand and leading her back to the bedroom.

Miranda is the first to jump in the bed and quickly settles herself on the opposite side of where Declan and she had come from. Declan climbs in and takes the other side, watching not to invade her personal space. As soon as they're both lying Miranda pulls the blanket up until her chin, tucking the blanket under it.

Declan settles himself and turns to lie on his side, facing Miranda. Sensing his eyes on her, she turns to face him and suddenly becomes very self-conscious and blushes slightly so she turns her eyes down, as if this way he won't be able to see the scarlet state of her cheeks.

"Good night." Declan finally says, trying to break some of the tension between them.

Miranda looks at him again and smiles shyly. "Good night." She murmurs and as she finally gets aware of how tired she is, she gives in to sleep.

Before Declan can find his own sleep, he watches Miranda dozing off, her breathes coming in and out softly. When he finally sleeps too, he's happy to believe his night will be filled with dreams of Miranda.

**MW-MW-MW-MW**

When he wakes up next morning, he curses himself for the thoughts running through his mind. Realizing how Miranda is sprawled out over him and his hand is spread across her warm, naked hip only make things worse.

Somewhere along the night Miranda had moved over to his side and somehow gotten herself completely over him, no inch of her on the bed and to be honest he doesn't mind at all having her like that but the thought of him dead isn't appealing at all either.

That's what he's going to be if she wakes up and finds him under her instead of the mattress and his hand spread across her hip and... she is so soft, god... she's so damn soft, her skin so white and soft and gentle to the touch. He feels as if he can touch her for the rest of his life and never get tired of doing so.

Miranda stirs a little in her sleep and Declan closes his eyes knowing he's already a dead man but when no punches or screams or anything like that comes he opens his eyes again and feels Miranda only snuggling more into him as she lets out a breathy sigh, the silkiness of her hair tickling him very slightly on his cheek, the faint smell of her shampoo surrounding his nose.

Declan freezes in place as Miranda moves and when she finally settles herself again he breathes out relieved. Not going to die today -at least for now. He wants so badly to just put his arms around her -take that hand from her hip, which he doesn't know why is still there- and pulls her closer to him. Or maybe he could just sneak a little kiss... her lips are just so damn close...

Then suddenly the clock goes off and Declan practically jumps from under Miranda and out of the bed before she can wake up and see him there and turns the clock off again. Before Miranda has time to even open her eyes Declan is already out of the bedroom and in the kitchen to make breakfast.

Miranda only stares confused after him.

**MW-MW-MW-MW**


	7. Part 7

**Obsession **

**Part 7 – Can't cry these tears**

He wonders if she feels guilty, if she finally realizes she's not being fair to him. He still can't understand why she'd call the cops, why she'd put him in jail. He has done nothing bad to her, nothing that would possibly need the police involved. Why had she been so mad about the note he left her? It was just a warning, just something to make her think about what she has done to him.

And she calls the cops to arrest him.

Of course he didn't stay in jail, he had done nothing to keep him in there. He had done nothing wrong and the cops realized that so they had to let Trevon go away. Miranda is the only one that can't see the good things he's doing to her…

He wonders if she went to bed last night thinking of him, of all the bad things she'd done and thinking of a way to make it right. But most of all he wonders where she might be because he saw her bike in the same spot it was yesterday and she isn't in the university yet.

She had gone out with the psychiatrist and the professor after classes and Trevon hadn't seen her coming back to get her bike, Could the professor had taken her home afterwards? Could she have asked him to come up? Could she… NO! That's not what's happening! He knows Miranda and the professor don't have anything beyond friendship, he's sure of that. If they did Trevon would have seen that, he'd have noticed. Wouldn't he?

Trevon stops for a moment to think about that and it's like things get clear… the touches, the stolen glances, the significant looks… the flirting attitude of both of them… but the thing that hits him right on the face, rubbing that little fact over his eyes, is the smiles. Miranda never smiles, never laughs, he has never seen Miranda doing any of that, except of course when the professor is with her.

What he feels for Declan Dunn is so powerful that Trevon doesn't know if he hates him the most or if he's jealous of the professor. Particularly he's never done anything to Trevon -except that time Dunn was rude to him, but Trevon wants to forget that after all it was just a misunderstood, it was Miranda's fault- but the little seed of jealousy is already planted and he can do nothing but hates the man that has the woman Trevon wants, even knowing the professor doesn't deserve her.

But Trevon does, of course he deserves Miranda. He's been to Miranda all she needs, but she hasn't seen that so Trevon has to make her see it. Being a little bit annoying or rude sometimes will help her to open her eyes, Trevon believes; or maybe being a little bit scary. If she's afraid of him then she'll respect him.

Right?

Right! His inner voice answers with such ferocity that Trevon himself is startled for a second.

He smiles to himself but soon it fades away when he sees the professor's truck pulling up. His eyes immediately catch the glow of the dark silkiness of Miranda's head. Seeing her arriving this early with him makes the anger he fights so much against boil up inside him and his doubts about their relationship pokes him in the inside.

God, he was so much sure they weren't together… but-but maybe he just gave her a ride again, maybe… they didn't sleep together, did they? They can't… they cannot possibly be like that. Trevon is cringing internally; the jealousy is taking over him as the same time as anger starts to flow out.

He can't let this happen. Miranda is his and as far as he can he'll keep it this way.

**x**

Declan turns the engine off as soon as he pulls up and turns to face Miranda just as she's rubbing her eyes and letting out a small sigh, one that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't looking at her. "You OK?"

Miranda quickly takes her hand away and looks up at him, ashamed that she was caught up like that, in a moment of tiredness. "Yeah, fine." She says out of reflex sounding cold, but not meaning to.

"Miranda…" Declan breathes out, hurt that she'd shut him out again and that she had done it with such coldness.

"I'm sorry." She murmurs, putting her hand over her eyes and rubbing it again. "I didn't mean to sound like that. It's just…." She can't finish her sentence as she's too tired of talking about this and she just doesn't feel like opening herself up more than she has already done.

"Hey," Declan speaks just as he puts his hand over hers. Miranda looks at their slightly joined hands, noticing for the first how good it feels, how perfectly right their hands looked together. He had touched her hands before but the adrenaline was running so wildly within her that she had no time to notice the feel of his hands on hers. She took her eyes from their hands to look at him. "I'm here, ok? I'll be here whenever you need it. I promise nothing is going to happen to you, not as long as I can help it."

She has to smile at that, she has to turn the corners of her mouth into a small, discreet smile, one that she believes Declan will barely see and will keep wondering if she is smiling or not. He's just so sweet sometimes that he amazes her, not the fact of him being so gentle and sweet, because she knows he is, she remembers how he acted when Emma was around, but what really surprises her is the fact of him being so incredible understanding –when he's not annoying her that is- so caring.

She hadn't asked him to be there for her, hadn't asked him to be anything but just her boss, or a friend and simply the professor, but he is more, nonetheless. He's much more than she has ever asked for anyone to be, he's her best friend –what is very funny because normally she'd hang out with her own group of friends, the people she goes to classes with but no, instead she goes around with this crazy, scatter-brained professor she has gotten to care so much about and now she just can't see her life without him in it.

"I know." She whispers, really knowing he means it, the impact of his words only increasing all she already feels for him. If it is possible of her to feel more and looks at him, smiling that half-smile Declan catches himself thinking about when he's falling sleep at night.

"Good." He says and smile back, trying to reflex her Mona Lisa smile type. He opens his door and waits till Miranda has open hers to climb out of the truck. Miranda closes her door soundly and walks to the other side to stand beside Declan.

He feels a strong will to take her hand and lead the way, holding very tightly her limb, keeping her as close to him as possible. He just doesn't have the nerve to do that so he just walks slowly, standing as close to her as he can. As soon as Miranda stops he feels it and turns to look at her. "What?"

"I-I…" She stutters but she more focused on the thing ahead of her that her brain couldn't work to form the words.

Declan turns to look at the same direction Miranda seems to be looking at and immediately finds the reason of her being nervous so suddenly. As Trevon approaches them Declan steps in front of Miranda and crosses his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asks coldly.

"I don't have business with you. I want to talk to Miranda." He replays just as coldly and steps around Declan to face Miranda, but he steps in front of her again.

"Oh yeah, you do have business with me and you're not getting near Miranda."

"How could you do this to me?" Trevon asks her as if he hasn't heard a word Declan has just said.

"I didn't do anything." Miranda speaks up but as much as she try to sound calm, her voice is a little shaky and the nervous shivers runs down her spine. Lately Trevon does that to her, he makes he feels as is she's in some kind of danger. "You're doing this to yourself."

"I'm doing this…?" He asks rhetorically raising his voice as he angrily walks close to her, the muscles underneath his clothes almost visible as they clutch together.

"Hey, hey!" Declan pushes Trevon away from Miranda and points a threatening finger at him. "Step. Away. If you want to hurt somebody, then hurt me. Don't be such a chicken to hurt someone weaker than you."

Trevon looks angrily at Declan wondering why that stupid professor is getting in the way since he has nothing to do with this. If beating up the professor would make it easer for him to talk to Miranda then he'd do it, but as soon as he goes to Declan Miranda jumps in front of them. "Stop it!" She says almost raising her voice too.

"Miranda…"

She takes Declan hands and walks away pulling him with her. "I told you before, leave me alone." She says with a bland, dry tone before leaving.

**x**

"What happened?" Peggy asks as she storms inside Declan's office. "Everyone is talking about…" But noticing the very unhappy atmosphere in the room, looking at Miranda quietly playing with a random object from Declan's table and the professor himself sprawled on the couch with his arms crossed she trails off, words failing her.

They both turn slowly to look at her, they way she has entered not startling them even a little bit. Miranda lets go of the object and sighs loudly and she turns to face Peggy. "Just… hmmm…" She shrugs, half embarrassed, half tired and most of her not wanting to talk about that.

Declan looks at Miranda and after a while he takes his eyes to Peggy. "Nothing that can't be resolved." He murmurs and sits up straight.

"You know, I think I'm gonna just…" Miranda mumbles and points at the door as she gets up and walks to it and before anyone can say a word she has already left.

"Declan…" Peggy starts but as if she doesn't have the right words to speak, she remains quiet.

"She's just dealing with this the way she has always done." Declan says with a sigh that lets it obvious to Peggy that whatever way he doesn't like it. "She just keeps shutting us out." He adds with a very small voice.

It hurts, of course it does. She trusts him, he knows that little fact but she doesn't seem to trust him enough to tell him how she's feeling. Last night was some thing that Declan is sure is not going to happen again, she's not going to be so open to the point of letting someone in so much like she did. He wishes she'd just let it all out, tell him everything, she thinks, she feels, everything she needs to let out. He knows that keeping everything in is not healthy, both to her body and mind.

Sometimes he catches himself wondering if something bad had happened to Miranda for her to keep people at arm's length as she does, to shut everyone out as tough someone would harm her if she let them get close enough, or maybe if… this someone would let her down, leave her. Declan doesn't know anything about Miranda's life to even start to ponder about what could have gone wrong, who could have disappointed her.

"She's just Miranda." Peggy's voice takes Declan out of his reverie.

Declan sighs and brings one hand up to rub his eyes. "Maybe she could stop being Miranda for a couple of minutes then."

"Declan… don't be so hard on her…" She starts but Declan soon cut her off.

"I'm not hard on her. She has problems but she just won't let us in, she needs help but she doesn't ask for it, she doesn't ask my help."

"Oh." Peggy lets out, finally realizing why, after all this time knowing Miranda, it is bothering Declan so much. She smiles at that, at how much he cares about her and doesn't seem to notice it as she takes a sit next to Declan.

"Oh what?" He asks curious. "Why are you smiling like this?"

She stays mute for a while, just staring at him and when Declan open his mouth to speak she finally says something. "Have you realized that yet?"

"That what?"

"You know, I think you should talk to her, have a good relationship based conversation." She says than stands up again, heading to the door. "But just… leave her by herself for a while ok?" She adds and leaves.

"Yeah, sure…" Declan mutters, still thinking about the nonsense Peggy has just said.

**x**

"Hmmm, excuse me, professor Dunn" Says a young blond student after she knocks softly on his door and opens it.

Declan looks up wishing –even knowing the voice isn't Miranda's- that it's her but the smile he was already forming for her, doesn't come and instead he gives the girl a small professor-like smile. "Hi Annie, come in."

"Hi." She says shyly and walks further into the room. "You know, I-I don't want to be a blabbermouth or anything," She starts looking around Declan's office, nervously twisting her hands. "But, hmm, I saw Miranda entered the bathroom before I went to my class, and well, this isn't un-normal but when the class was over and I went to the bathroom, Miranda was still there and I think she was crying." She finally finishes a little less nervous, but still twisting her hands. "Very hard." She adds then.

"Crying?" He asks half surprised because the other half knew that something like that could happen; if Miranda doesn't open up with anyone then she'll try to let it all out as best as she can, with no one knowing.

"Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't even have bothered to say anything but I've never seen Miranda crying –not that I see her- and since there's this Trevon thing going on and you're her friend –the only person I could talk about her to- I just thought I should come then."

"Thank you, Annie." Declan says quickly getting up and heading to the door. "I really appreciate your concern." Then he left the office in a hurry, heading to the ladies' bathroom.

Declan opens the door very slowly, peeking his head in first to check and see if anyone is there. Making sure no woman is indeed in the bathroom he quickly enters it before anyone can see him and closes the door behind him. First he thinks Annie was wrong or that he just came too late and Miranda has already left for he doesn't hear any sounds. But then the familiar voice he adores so much fills the room.

"Stupid asshole." She mutters in an angry voice that Declan's never heard Miranda talking before. "Why can't I have just a normal life? Why do weird guys always have to fall for me?" And when the last words leave her mouth Declan hears a loud metallic sound and he's sure Miranda has just broken something. But the sound doesn't stop as she keeps punching this metallic something, or so he believes.

"Miranda?" He calls her slowly and immediately the sound stops.

There's long pause, as if Miranda is taking in that he's actually there and then, "Declan?"

"One and only." He tries to tease but the joke falls into nothing as she doesn't laugh, or giggle, or even smile. He can't see her smile anyway but in a weird, odd way he knows that if she smiled he'd be able to feel it.

"What are you doing here?" She asks with an almost disbelieving tone but doesn't wait for his answer. "It's a women bathroom, are you crazy?"

"Hey, I'm crazy." He replies and enters in one of the open cubicles and sits on the closed toilet.

She sighs not too loudly but in the almost empty room her breath echoes through it. "Declan…."

"What are you doing here? You're here over an hour."

"How'd you know?"

"It doesn't matter." He says quickly, not wanting to give Annie problems with Miranda. "I know you've been crying all this time. If you're feeling this bad you could've talked to me, you know."

"And said what, huh? What do you want me to say, Declan? How I am feeling?" She says with a slight hint of mockery as she tries to hide her true feelings behind that. "Do you want me to complain that I'm scared? That I'm angry and frightened that something can happen to me and I won't be able to do a damn thing? What good will do? It won't change anything…"

Declan listens to her talking, to her soft voice as she do her best to sound strong, to sound as if she's not feeling like crying, but he knows… he knows that she's trying with all her mighty not to cry, he can almost see her closing her eyes to stop the tears as she presses her lips together and breathes in deeply to make her voice sound strong.

"Maybe." He says softly, as he lets out a small breath. "But talking to someone will make you feel better. If you talk to me I know that I can do something. I'll know that you trust me enough to come to me." He truly hopes that with this she'll talk to him or at least consider what he said. Then he adds in an almost barely audible whisper, "I'll know that you need me."

There is a long moment of silence with no single sound from Miranda, not even her breath he can hear and Declan thinks his speech didn't change anything and the moment he's giving up on this he hears the click of the lock being opened and a second later Miranda steps outside the bathroom and stands in front of him.

Her sky-like eyes shine with fresh tears and they are red with the former ones. "I need you." She whispers looking at him but not in his eyes. "I'm frightened when I shouldn't be, I'm scared and I don't know how to stop it." She says with a shaky voice that soon is joined with a new set of tears.

Declan, who's sitting just listening to her, gets up and goes to her, enveloping Miranda in a warm, tight hug. "Shhhh." He whispers trying to soothe her.

She puts her arms tightly around him too and buries her face in his neck, her hot tears dropping on his shirt and soon reaching his skin. "I need you." She whispers in between her breathy sobs as she tries so hard to stop them.

"I know." Declan whispers back, holding her tighter, realizing that the same necessity he has to know she needs him is the same one she has to let him know she actually needs him. And he knows, of course he does, he doesn't need to hear her saying the words, he doesn't need her tears, her sobs and her arms tightly around his neck as she cries like a scared child, as she buries her wet face even more in his neck.

All he needs is to hear her voice every morning, see her smiling through her eyes, see the beautiful glow they have making him believe he is looking at the summer sky, to feel her warmth whenever she's around him, see the so rare smiles she gives him but can light up whatever room they're in if she does that little move. Just her being by his side after all this time doing craziness, getting into trouble, and making her life much more busy and complicated that it already is, is enough to make him sure that she needs him, that she's actually still with him because she needs him.

He has to believe she needs to have him in her life.

"Come, let's go home, ok?" He speaks softly as he runs a gentle hand through her hair, softly putting an astray strand of dark hair behind her ear. She only nods and finally takes her face from his neck and looks him in the eye, and it's like her own eyes are screaming 'Yes, I need you, don't ever forget that you dumbass'. Declan smiles in spite of the situation but gladly she doesn't see it and he leads her out of the bathroom.

Maybe a warm bath and a night friendly talk before going to bed is what Miranda needs right now.

**x**

End of chapter 7!


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